Black Widow almost ready for thrills

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By Mackenzie Carpenter Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

For those Kennywood Park aficionados who have grown weary of the venerable Thunderbolt or the gut-wrenching hyper-coaster Phantom's Revenge, the Black Widow is waiting to inject her venom into your innards.

But this brand new ride won't be spinning its web around your helpless body -- at 60 mph and at a height of 146 feet, no less -- until the third week of May, at the earliest. The park is scheduled to open for the season on May 5.

Black Widow comes to Kennywood

Several large cranes were used to install the new Black Widow ride at Kennywood. It takes the place of The Pitfall ride. (Video by Doug Oster; 4/20/2012)

PG VIDEO

"We advise guests to time their rides appropriately," said Jeff Filicko, a spokesman for the park -- i.e., don't have any of the park's fabled french fries too soon before strapping yourself into this thing.

Built by the Italian company Zamperla, it replaces Pittfall, the park's tallest ride at 251 feet, which was sold earlier this year. Forty riders will be strapped into individual seats, to swing back and forth like a pendulum while at the same time being rotated counterclockwise. Peak height: 146 feet off the ground, at a 120-degree angle from the center, while moving 68 mph, providing a feeling of weightlessness.

As we said, save the french fries for afterwards.

Kennywood riders must be at least 52 inches tall to take the ride, which will be in Lost Kennywood, near the boarding station for Phantom's Revenge.

Other new features at the park include a new barbecue stand and some other changes, but for now, no details are forthcoming.